Match report: Napoli 1-1 Milan (agg: 1-2)
That’s it for tonight. We’ll have a report shortly, and in the meantime you can read all about events at Stamford Bridge by clicking here.
Thanks for your company and emails – goodnight.
Updated
Fikayo Tomori’s verdict
Yeah, it feels good. We put in a great shift today against a great team. Apart from when they scored right at the end we pretty much controlled the game when we were in the defensive phase. Lots of people wrote us off but over the two legs I think we deserve to be in the semi-final. Now we can sit back and watch the other tie tomorrow!
I’ll be watching that [Inter v Benfica] on my sofa, legs up, because I’m so tired! It could be Inter, which would be a nice semi-final, but Benfica are a strong team. We’ll have to wait and see. We’re just happy for ourselves to be in the semi-final.
A bit of housekeeping Despite my best efforts to punish Sandro Tonali for a foul by Theo Hernandez in the first half, none of the Milan players on a yellow card were booked. That means they’ll be available for the first leg of their semi-final.
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"At least 45 seconds lost between Osimhen’s goal and subsequent kick off,” says Robert Speed. “Literally none of it was accounted for.”
Yep, fair point.
“Here in Naples, everyone was hoping for a miracle in the city renowned for such phemonena as the liquefying of the blood of San Gennaro,” says Colum Fordham. “But despite the best efforts of Kavara and co, this was not to be. For a small squad, winning Serie A is already miraculous enough. And Milan have Leao, a latterday George Weah who has been superb in both games.”
You’d like to see another Baggio solo goal you say?
Milan will face Internazionale or Benfica after an extremely hard-fought draw in Naples. They defended admirably, restricting Napoli to few clear chances, and Mike Maignan’s brilliant penalty save from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia postponed Napoli’s onslaught by 11 crucial minutes.
Olivier Giroud also had a penalty saved in the first half; then he scored the decisive goal after a mesmeric 70-yard run from Rafael Leao. On balance Milan deserved it, though the competition is poorer for Napoli’s absence. Then again, it would also be poorer had Rafael Leao gone out, never mind the rest of this impressive Milan team.
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Full time: Napoli 1-1 Milan (agg: 1-2)
For the first time in 16 years, AC Milan are Champions League semi-finalists!
90+4 min Kvaratskhelia overhits a cross that Maignan gleefully allows to run out of play.
Osimhen gets in front of Junior Messias at the near post to meet Raspadori’s cross and power a header through the diving Maignan. A superb finish, but surely too late.
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GOAL! Napoli 1-1 Milan (agg: 1-2, Osimhen 90+3)
Now then!
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90+2 min Four minutes of added time.
90+1 min Kvaratskhelia’s cross from a narrow position is missed by the stooping Ostigard in front of goal, but Maignan reads it well and pushes the ball away to his left. He has kept goal with calm authority all night.
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90 min Lozano’s shot hits Krunic and goes behind for Napoli’s 125th corner. Raspadori takes it short and cross towards Osimhen; Tomori heads clear.
88 min: Chance for Napoli! Another corner for Napoli on the left. Kvaratskhelia curls it onto the head of Olivera, who gets up well but somehow heads wide from five yards. That was a great chance!
87 min “While I agree that there’s a big difference between ‘mostly dead’ and ‘all dead’,” says Kári Tulinius. “Napoli look all dead now after the penalty. I suppose, as consolation prizes go, a scudetto is pretty good.”
85 min Even Kvaratskhelia, irrepressibility personified, looks beaten now.
83 min: Milan substitution Alexis Saelemaekers replaces the (probable) matchwinner Rafael Leao.
Rafael Leão just destroyed Napoli 🤯 #UCL pic.twitter.com/vnkJO57nY4
— BT Sport (@btsport) April 18, 2023
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Kvaratskhelia swept the penalty low to his left, but Maignan – who is having a helluva few weeks – got down superbly to push it round the post. It wasn’t a perfect penalty but it still took an exceptional save to deny him.
Maignan saves Kvaratskhelia's penalty!!
That is a marvellous save!
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PENALTY TO NAPOLI! Oh my. Di Lorenzo’s low cross hits the trailing arm of the falling Tomori, and the referee gives a penalty. That’s a bit harsh.
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79 min This tie feels over, and it has for the last 15-20 minutes, and yet there is still time for Napoli to set up a grandstand finish. We’ve seen more unlikely comebacks, most recently in last year’s semi-final between Real Madrid and Man City.
78 min Milan aren’t really bothering to attack now. When they do threaten t cross the halfway line, Origi goes down after a heavy challenge. He’s fine.
77 min A cross from the right just evades Osimhen, who was shepherded away from the ball by Kjaer. He and Tomori have been very good in the centre of the Milan defence.
76 min “You know the match has petered out,” says Joe Pearson, “when the Princess Bride and Rushmore quotes start creeping into the MBM.”
Your mind’s as warped as your music taste, Pearson.
75 min Regardless of tonight’s result, this is still one of the greatest seasons in Napoli’s history. It’s just a bit of shame that who have enriched the Champions League so much should go out with a whimper. But we shouldn’t underplay how well Milan have controlled this game, particularly after such a tumultuous first 10 minutes.
74 min: Double substitution for Napoli Leo Ostigard and Giacomo Raspadori replace the grimacing Rrahmani and Zielinski.
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74 min Di Lorenzo’s deep, lofted cross is headed onto the roof of the net by the backpedalling Rrahmani. That was a very tough chance.
72 min Zielinski’s curler from the edge of the area takes a slight touch and goes behind for a corner. Nothing comes of it.
70 min Napoli have had 15 attempts at goal to Milan’s four. But that statistic is a goddamned lie, because they have had the clearest chances and, for the most part, have kept Napoli at arm’s length.
69 min “‘Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind...’” begins Harriet Osborn. “We’ve all got a goal or two that reminds us of that bit, don’t we? Just not quite so many as an actual football historian...”
That’s a very subtle way of asking for more Roberto Baggio.
68 min: Milan substitution Divock Origi, 28 today, replaces the goalscorer Olivier Giroud.
66 min “AC Milan really are defending as if an all-Milan UCL semi-final depends on them,” says Aditi Modi. “Which is ironic, given that the order of the quarter-finals means that it technically depends on their San Siro cohabitants to ensure the semi-final. And while it’s a long shot, maybe, just maybe, Benfica might be able to pull off the impossible?”
Given what happened in their last Champions League quarter-final, I’m sure Inter will be taking nothing for granted.
64 min: Chance for Napoli! Kvaratskhelia’s deep, inswinging corner from the left is headed wide from six yards by Olivera. That was a pretty good chance because he was essentially unmarked, though he may have seen it late.
63 min: Napoli substitution Eljif Elmas replaces Tanguy Ndombele, who started brightly but was at fault for the goal.
62 min Kvaratskhelia flicks a good pass into the underlapping Olivera, but he is superbly tracked by Bennacer. Goalkick to Milan, who look relatively comfortable right now.
60 min Lozano cuts into the area from the right only to shoot wastefully over the bar. Napoli have been impatient to a fault in the final third, certainly in the Milan area.
59 min: Milan substitution Junior Messias replaces Brahim Diaz.
58 min: Chance for Napoli! Kvaratskhelia again manages to wriggle between Calabria and Krunic on the left side of the area – but then he lashes the bouncing ball over the bar with his left foot. That was a pretty decent chance, even if Kjaer was coming across to challenge.
56 min Kvaratskhelia, who certainly hasn’t given this up, stabs a sudden square pass to Ndombele in the area. He hits a shot that is blocked by one of at least seven Milan players inside their own area. They are defending as if a potential Milanese Champions League semi-final depends on it.
55 min “As an ageing full-back,” begins Pádraig McAuliffe, “I note that the imperious Calabria has only seven more international caps than I do, and I was once described as playing like Curtis Fleming on horse tranquiliser.”
And that was by Curtis Fleming himself.
54 min Napoli look like they are starting to feel sorry for themselves. So far, Milan have done a number on them. So far.
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53 min “As Giroud was putting it in the back of the net I exclaimed ‘what a goal!’, mainly in regards to Leao’s run,” says Matt Burtz. “That said, do you have a YouTube history page consisting solely of all-time great goals that you can access and post within 30 seconds like you did here?”
I do, it’s called Rob’s special brain.
51 min Leao goes on another outrageous run from inside his own half, all the way to the edge of the Napoli area. Eventually he lays the ball off to Brahim Diaz, who is dispossessed.
Leao doesn’t necessarily dominate games, but my god he knows how to decorate them. It’s not just the ground he covers and the players he beats that catches the eye; it’s the elegance and balance with which he does so. In some ways balance is the great indefinable of football, but we know it when we see it.
50 min “That tactical foul is as much a professional foul as the one denying the obvious goalscoring opportunity,” says Andy Flintoff. “I know there’d be a huge backlash from proper football men if it happened, but just once, wouldn’t you like to see the referee brandish a red card rather than a yellow for it?”
No. And if that makes me a proper football man, then that’s a cross I’ll have to bear.
49 min Decent pressure from Napoli at the start of the second half, if not with the same intensity – or conviction – they had at the start of the game.
47 min “Why has Ndombele started this match?” says Yash Gupta. “Great piece of skill by Leao. But I know one player named Patrick who was Crystal Palace manager, who would’ve just smacked Leao to stop that run. You don’t allow Leao to run. Napoli allowed this and the game is done.”
Anguissa is suspended. Very fair point on taking a yellow card though. In that situation, ask yourself one thing: What Would Josep Do?
46 min: Chance for Napoli! Kvaratskhelia almost scores after 36 seconds. He somehow wriggled away from Calabria, near the byline in the area, and then walloped a rising shot from a tight angle that flew past the far post. I expected to see the net ripple.
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46 min Peep peep! Napoli begin the second half. By the way, it was Hernandez rather than Tonali who was booked in the first half. That would be good for Milan because he’s not on a yellow card. Or at least he wasn’t; he is now.
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“Chelsea/Arsenal 2004 vibes,” says Peter Mumola. “While Napoli aren’t invincible in Serie A, this result is a bit shocking considering they are 22 points above Milan in the league.”
“I don’t know what you were watching,” says Anthony in Dortmund, “but that was definitely a penalty and a yellow for Leao (36 min). Yet more VAR madness. Looking at the different angles, he didn’t get the ball first and went through Lozano in the box.”
Well I was watching the TV, but having just had time to look properly at a replay I think you are probably right. Not sure it qualifies as VAR madness though.
One thing I didn’t realise is that as many as four Napoli players may have encroached on Giroud’s penalty, so technically that should probably have been retaken.
Play that one again and again
Giroud wasn't going to miss that one!
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 18, 2023
Leão with one of the best solo runs you will ever see 😍#UCL pic.twitter.com/W4i9QLFnb2
Half time: Napoli 0-1 Milan (agg: 0-2)
Milan are on course for a semi-final, perhaps against Inter, after a first half of decreasing discomfort in Naples. The home side started brilliantly, and threatened to overwhelm Milan in the first 10 minutes, but the defence held firm and it was Milan who created the better chances.
Olivier Giroud missed a penalty after a foul on Rafael Leao, who then created the goal for Giroud with a 70-yard run of the purest brilliance. At the moment he, not the irrepressible Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, is making the difference.
45+7 min And now Di Lorenzo is booked for a tactical foul on Bennacer. The referee has been flawless so far.
45+6 min Kvaratskhelia surges into the area, away from Calabria, who makes a superb recovery tackle to concede a corner. Maignan has been booked for timewasting I think.
45+4 min: Osimhen has a goal disallowed for handball! He’s unhappy but there’s no controversy here. Kjaer’s attempted clearance hit the outstretched arm of Osimhen, who then rattled the rebound past Maignan.
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45+3 min Lobotka flicks a long-range shot with the outside of the foot that is well blocked near the penalty spot. Milan have defended very well.
45+1 min Tonali is booked for a late tackle, which means he’ll miss the first leg of the semi-final if Milan get there.
45 min Six minutes of added time. In spirit, and in its languid elegance, Rafael Leao’s run was very similar to Roberto Baggio’s famous goal in Naples in 1989-90.
Ndombele let the ball run across his body, 25 yards from Milan’s goal, and it was collected by Leao in the inside-left channel. He veered away from Ndombele’s recovery challenge, then used sleight of hip to cut inside Di Lorenzo just past the halfway line. From that moment, Napoli were in serious bother.
The last man on that side of the field, Rrahmani, was beaten by a sudden change of pace on the edge of the area, and Leao then used his strength to resist Rrahmani’s desperate lunging challenge. Finally he drew Meret and squared the ball to Giroud, who sidefooted it past past Juan Jesus on the line.
That was quite glorious from Rafael Leao, elegant and devastating in equal measure.
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GOAL! Napoli 0-1 Milan (agg: 0-2; Giroud 43)
Olivier Giroud scores after an amazing run from Rafael Leao!
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42 min After a decent cutback from Di Lorenzo, Ndombele spanks a shot into orbit from 20 yards. Napoli have been a little impatient in the final third.
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41 min Giroud is okay to continue.
40 min Giroud is still down. I don’t think he’s faking it – Lozano kicked through his achilles in an attempt to get the ball.
38 min Milan are defending deep and in numbers. Zielinski fires a decent pass into Lozano in the area, but his first touch isn’t quite right and then he fouls Giroud. Lozano has looked off the pace since coming on.
37 min: No penalty And quite right too, I’d say.
36 min A loose ball runs towards Lozano in the area. He is in the act of shooting when Rafael Leao lunges to make a risky but vital tackle. Leao got the ball first and then took out Lozano in his follow through, so I think in context that’s a fair challenge. But it’s being checked by VAR.
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36 min Kvaratskhelia dances infield, plays a one-two with Zielinski and curls a good ball towards Lozano on the far side of the area. He cuts inside but then slips.
35 min “It ain’t what Giroud it’s the way that Giroud it,” says Niall Mullen, and that’s what gets results.
34 min: Double substitution for Napoli Mario Rui needs to go off as well. Hirving Lozano and Mathias Olivera replace him and Matteo Politano.
32 min It gets worse for Napoli: Politano, their most dangerous attacker so far, needs to come off. He was well tackled by Hernandez on the edge of the area and immediately went down before making the universal sign for a substitution. It looked innocuous, but he’s in serious pain. It might be a metatarsal injury.
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30 min Mario Rui has an injury problem. After a brilliant start, Napoli have lost their way and could easily be behind on the night.
29 min “BSkyB, Channel 4, AND the Welsh-language S4C,” weeps a joyful Matt Dony. “Way back in the late 80s/early 90s (and for reasons I still don’t fully understand) the channel’s football show Sgorio had the rights for Serie A, La Liga, and a pre-hipster Bundesliga.
“Ten-year-old Matt was always Van Basten in the playground. AC Milan were cool and invincible and swaggering. In a time when it was hard to find out much about foreign clubs, they had a mystique. Ten-year-old Matt would be mortified to discover that Considerably Older-Matt is right behind Napoli. The most joyful team in Europe currently.”
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28 min: Meret saves from Giroud again! That was another big chance for Milan. After a poor ball out of defence from Tonali, Giroud allowed the ball to run past Rrahmani in the area and then slid a low shot that was kicked away by Meret. He did the hard part by getting away from Rrahmani but then shot too close to the keeper.
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26 min: Chance for Napoli! Di Lorenzo breaks into space down the right and cuts the ball back to the supporting Zielinski on the edge of the area. His first-time shot is too close to Maignan, who saves comfortably despite the ball going through the legs of Tomori.
25 min In fact it’s Juan Jesus who is having his head bandaged after clashing with Lobotka. He’s fine to continue for now.
24 min There’s a break in play because of a head injury to Lobotka, which gives poor Olivier Giroud a bit of time to reflect on that penalty.
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MERET SAVES GIROUD'S PENALTY!
22 min A huge moment in Naples! It was a poor penalty from Giroud: Meret guessed right, diving to his left, and pushed it away fairly comfortably.
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21 min: PENALTY TO MILAN! Out of nothing, a huge chance for Milan. Leao cut inside from the left and played a one-two with Hernandez, whose return pass to the edge of the area was slightly overhit. Leao stretched to lay it off to Diaz and was then taken out by Mario Rui, a needless tackle and a clear penalty.
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20 min Zielinski’s corner is headed away at the near post by Giroud. Milan can’t get out, though, and eventually Politano drags a low shot just wide from the edge of the area. Again, I’m pretty sure Maignan had it covered.
19 min The dangerous Politano’s cross is headed behind for yet another corner by Calabria.
17 min For all Napoli’s early pressure, Mike Maignan hasn’t had much to do. Yet.
15 min Napoli break dangerously, with Calabria caught upfield. Kvaratskhelia tries to twist outside Kjaer, who reads it well and makes a fine interception on the edge of his own area.
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14 min The last few minutes have been a bit more peaceful for Milan, who were under relentless pressure at the start of the game.
13 min Politano, who has started well, cuts inside from the right, beats two players and drills a shot from the edge of the D that goes a few yards wide of the near post. Again, Maignan had it covered.
12 min A foul on Bennacer allows Milan some respite. About 10 seconds, to be precise.
10 min The corner leads to a bit of a scramble, with Osimhen having a volley blocked by Bennacer I think.
10 min Politano beats Tomori and lifts a cross towards Osimhen that is crucially headed away by Kjaer. Moments later, Calabria heads behind for yet another corner. This is blistering stuff from Napoli.
9 min Kvaratskhelia cuts into the area from the left and scuffs a low drive that is comfortably saved by Maignan. Even so, Napoli will be encouraged by the ease with which he beat Calabria.
8 min Politano cuts inside from the right and curls a cross that is booted away by Tomori. It’s all Napoli at the moment.
7 min Mario Rui’s inswinger is headed away well by Giroud at the near post.
6 min Mario Rui’s outswinging corner is headed behind for another. It’s headed clear to Ndombele, who wins a third corner in quick succession, this time on the right.
5 min Mario Rui’s free-kick hits the head of Krunic in the wall and flies a few yards wide. Maignan wasn’t remotely perturbed.
5 min Kvaratskhelia is fouled 25 yards from goal by Tonali. This is a chance for Napoli…
4 min Plenty of early possession for Napoli, as you’d expect. Milan are trying to slow the game down; good luck with that.
3 min Di Lorenzo wins a header and is flattened by Leao, who seemed to leave a bit of him. The referee, the impressive, bald Szymon Marciniak, settles for awarding a free-kick.
1 min An early run from Kvaratskhelia, who nutmegs Krunic and moves into the box before eventually being crowded out.
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1 min Peep peep! Rafael Leao gets the match under way. Every Milan touch is being booed, already.
Oh my goodness the atmosphere is sensational, and that’s just on the television.
Here come the players, most of whom will be struggling to hear themselves think amid the noise. Let’s not get carried away, though: this is, after all, only one of the biggest games in Napoli’s history.
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Ten minutes to kick off. Let’s have a reminder of the teams.
Napoli (4-3-3) Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan, Mario Rui; Ndombele, Lobotka, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia.
Substitutes: Raspadori, Lozano, Gaetano, Elmas, Ostigard, Olivera, Bereszynski, Idasiak, Gollini.
AC Milan (4-2-3-1) Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Hernandez; Krunic, Tonali; Diaz, Bennacer, Leao; Giroud.
Substitutes: Mirante, Ballo, Rebic, Kalulu, Florenzi, Origi, Thiaw, Junior Messias, Pobega, Gabbia, Saelemaekers, De Ketelaere.
Referee Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
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The atmosphere in Naples, as you can probably imagine, is quite something.
The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona awaits Milan. All Italian Champions League quarter final coming up on BT Sport. pic.twitter.com/iYCsmF05uw
— Ian Darke (@IanDarke) April 18, 2023
Napoli v Milan: 1988-89
I love this Diego Maradona header in ways I can’t articulate, which is strange because and I’m usually able to write about old goals with an underwhelming competence.
Just don’t tell Tony Soprano if you read these links
Victor Osimhen in 2022-23: 30 games, 25 goals
Victor Osimhen is back in #UCL action 😍
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 18, 2023
Napoli's leading talisman returns to the starting lineup for their clash with Italian rivals Milan... pic.twitter.com/Sx0WxXUhC5
Nicky Bandini’s match preview
From the archive
Napoli’s title decider with Milan on 1 May 1988 is one of Serie A’s most famous games. Emmet Gates wrote a cracking piece on it last year.
“How did you get this game to cover?!!” says Jeff Sax. “Enjoy.”
I tugged my forelock very, very hard. It still hurts, but it was worth it.
These are the people on a yellow card, who will miss the first leg of the semi-final if they are booked tonight, and there’s a reason I used the word ‘people’ rather than ‘players’.
Napoli Juan Jesus, Amir Rrahmani, Matteo Politano.
Milan Davide Calabria, Fikayo Tomori, Rade Krunic, Sandro Tonali, Fode Ballo-Toure, Stefano Pioli.
Yep, even one of the coaches in on a yellow.
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Team news: Osimhen starts, Milan unchanged
The big news, which you’ll know already as it’s in bold right above this sentence, is that Victor Osimhen starts up front for Napoli. He replaces Elif Elmas in one of four changes from the first leg. Juan Jesus and Tanguy Ndombele are in for the suspended Kim Min-jae and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, and Matteo Politano is preferred to Hirving Lozano as the right-sided attacker.
Milan, who rested all their outfield players against Bologna at the weekend, are unchanged from the first leg.
Napoli (4-3-3) Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Juan, Mario Rui; Ndombele, Lobotka, Zielinski; Politano, Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia.
Substitutes: Raspadori, Lozano, Gaetano, Elmas, Ostigard, Olivera, Bereszynski, Idasiak, Gollini.
AC Milan (4-2-3-1) Maignan; Calabria, Kjaer, Tomori, Hernandez; Krunic, Tonali; Diaz, Bennacer, Leao; Giroud.
Substitutes: Mirante, Ballo, Rebic, Kalulu, Florenzi, Origi, Thiaw, Junior Messias, Pobega, Gabbia, Saelemaekers, De Ketelaere.
Referee Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
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Preamble
Tonight, dear reader, you’ll be needing some popcorn. It’s Napoli v Milan for a place in the Champions League semi-finals, so you should expect most if not all of the following: drama, intensity, brilliance, controversy, aggro, a brawl.
It’s a shame Diego isn’t here to see it. He absolutely loved vaccinating Milan and, on some level, I suspect he quite enjoyed it when Milan vaccinated him too. Maradona was the central figure in an exhilarating, sometimes vicious rivalry between these two in the late 1980s and (very) early 1990s. Serie A at that time was as strong as any domestic league has ever been, and Napoli v Milan was the biggest club game in world football.
Serie A hasn’t been the best in the world for a while, but Italian football will always have a uniquely intense flavour. That’s why those of us who grew up watching it on BSkyB and Channel 4 have a mouth full of water right now. That and the prospect of watching, among others, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Rafael Leao, Sandro Tonali and – crucially for Napoli – Victor Osimhen.
We don’t yet know whether Osimhen will start – he has played only 17 minutes since injuring his knee during the international break – but his presence on the bench, at the very least, should relax a Napoli side that has failed to score in three of the last four games.
That includes last week’s first leg, an edgy match that ended 1-0 to Milan. They also won here 4-0 at the start of April, a barely believable result against the will-be champions, but Napoli will be able to rationalise that this is the real quiz.
Tonight’s winners play Inter Milan (probably) or Benfica in the semis. Milan’s last Champions League semi-final was in 2007; Napoli have never been in one.
Kick off 8pm.
